<div><section><p>'Wish I didn't say this': Ex-mistress gets emotional reading texts on stand in Caleb Flynn trial</p></section><div><p><img src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/rover/profile_photos/9d67e0a2-e425-4d6d-8c6c-11a564774584_1474037203.jpg?resize=100:*" alt="WLWT Digital Staff" /></p></div><p><strong>MIAMI COUNTY, Ohio —</strong></p><p>The murder trial of Caleb Flynn, a former "American Idol" contestant and pastor accused of killing his wife, Ashley, in their Tipp City home, continued Thursday with testimony from his mistress. </p><p>Alleigha Botner, Flynn’s mistress, took the witness stand again Thursday morning. Prosecutors had her read portions of more than 100,000 text messages exchanged between her and Flynn over the past year. </p><p><strong><em>WLWT's Karin Johnson is covering the trial. See latest updates here:</em></strong></p><p>"I just wish I didn't say this, I didn't mean it," Botner said before reading one of the messages. "It says, I want to kill her, Caleb. I said, it's so bad. He said that makes two of us," Botner read aloud in court. </p><p>In a later message, Botner expressed that she did not want Flynn to kill Ashley, instead urging him to divorce her. </p><p>"On August 22nd, 2025, I said it would change everything, Caleb. I'm not asking that you take her life, obviously, because that's not what you should do. And I know you actually wouldn't. But to make the divorce happen, it would change everything," she read. </p><p>Botner testified Wednesday that she believes Flynn killed Ashley. </p><p>Flynn’s defense team argues there is no forensic evidence linking him to the crime, claiming instead that an intruder broke into the home and killed Ashley. The murder weapon has not been recovered.</p></div>

The murder trial of Caleb Flynn, a former "American Idol" contestant and pastor accused of killing his wife, Ashley, in their Tipp City home, continued Thursday with testimony from his mistress.